The Hindu 24.11.2010
High Court refers BDA acquisition to Lokayukta
Staff Reporter
BDA paid Rs. 27 lakh to acquire a building adjacent to the Vrushabhavathi
Court asks how the building was allowed, that too skirting the river
BANGALORE: After the State Government, it is now the turn of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to come under the scanner of the Karnataka High Court for its acquisition procedure.
If the Government has been at the receiving end for its faulty acquisition of land and subsequent denotification, the BDA was at the receiving end on Tuesday for the manner in which it had acquired a property and paid compensation.
Court astounded
The High Court found it “incredible” that the BDA has paid Rs. 27 lakh to acquire a building constructed adjacent to the Vrushabhavathi river near Mysore Road in Bangalore. What astounded the court was that the compensation was only for the building and not for the land.
The court was dealing with a petition by Nehalal seeking grant of alternative land. Mr. Nehalal claimed that both the BDA and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had acquired his land near Mysore Road. While the BDA wanted the land and the building to construct a flyover, the BBMP wanted another piece of land for a waste treatment plant.
Mr. Nehalal said he had only claimed compensation for the building and not for the land. “I want alternative land,” he said.
The court was taken aback by the manner in which the BDA conducted the acquisition and compensation process. It asked how someone could be allowed to construct such a building and that too near the Vrushabharathi river and sought to know how the BDA could pay compensation only for the building and not the land.
The issue needed to be investigated, it said, and referred the matter to the Lokayuktya.
